the longest time you've spent loading a tank

[joeswe]

Well bad things can happen once in a while, but its mostly a question of technique. I am working with Jobo plastic reels and after some frustrating experiences I found out that it is much easier not too use the usual loading mechanism (= twisting the two parts of the reel against each other), but to hold the reel still and just push the film into the reel. Its difficult to explain in words but easy to demonstrate, so I attached a link to a video below that shows that technique. When done correctly this method is very fast and also very unlikely to bend or scratch film. The only part of the film surface you ever touch is the first couple of centimeters of the leader. Of course it always helps to keep the reels clean and also to round the leading edges of the film slightly. Done correctly, the loading shouldn't take longer than 30 seconds:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53314753@N03/8032823055/

 

[znapper]

Nearly 1 hour, fighting with a stubborn b*stard, curly Tri-X 320, which didn't like to go from the freezer, to my living room, into -7 damp degrees outside and back into my living room.
Was like trying to force a steel spring onto my plastic reel, refused entry and when it did, it slipped off pretty soon, going back into friggin hedgehog-mode.

Got it loaded in the end though, so I won, "haha" !

 

[tekst]

The one roll I ever screwed up just happened to be a friends holiday negatives from Egypt, I just couldn't get it to load on the reel. Maybe it was the pressure of having him in the room watching me as i sweated it out fighting with the changing bag. I ended up just putting them in the tank sans reel and hoped for the best. A few turned out ok but the rest were useless. Felt so, so bad about it all 🙁 Oh and I remember trying a roll of 120 once, giving up and never even trying to attempt again. After these two dramas I couldnt be bothered anymore and gave them to a lab to do!

 

[bojanfurst]

Not a silly poll at all. When I was in first year of college taking my first PJ class we had to, of course, learn how to load the tank. I was hopeless at it, until a classmate (who I sensibly since then married) told me to do it with my eyes closed. It seemed silly because, hello, you are in the darkroom, but it worked like a charm. The only problem is that 16 years later and hundreds if not thousands of rolls later, I still have to do it with my eyes closed.

 

[Ed Weatherly]

Probably really more like 15 minutes. Since I had not loaded film for several years, I got a roll of outdated 120 film and another 35mm film and used them to practice while watching tv. The other advice given here is invaluable too. Make sure the spools are totally dry before loading film or they will stick! I have had really good sucess with both JOBO and Paterson spools.

 

[Ed Weatherly]

Not a silly poll at all. When I was in first year of college taking my first PJ class we had to, of course, learn how to load the tank. I was hopeless at it, until a classmate (who I sensibly since then married) told me to do it with my eyes closed. It seemed silly because, hello, you are in the darkroom, but it worked like a charm. The only problem is that 16 years later and hundreds if not thousands of rolls later, I still have to do it with my eyes closed.

On the upside, there is no one who can see you with your eyes closed😀

 

[bojanfurst]

On the upside, there is no one who can see you with your eyes closed😀

Very true, Ed. Very true. 😀

 

[taskoni]

Funny you guys pulled back this old thread - I was struggling a week ago with one ORWO 120 film from 1981 for about 20 min! Midway I just closed it in the tank to go for a smoke and after the 10 min break was struggling for another 10 min. before I load the sucker in to the reel. How frustrated I was after developing it to find out that I have exposed correctly only 2 frames out of eight!
Never 120 film again 😀